Hungry Liberians storm port...Mass looting in Liberia port

[SoCalDem]

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/08/13/liberia/index.html

Mass looting in Liberia port

Hungry Liberians storm port

Wednesday, August 13, 2003 Posted: 4:07 PM EDT (2007 GMT)
Liberians loot food supplies from the port area in rebel-held Monrovia.




MONROVIA, Liberia (CNN) --

Thousands of hungry Liberians stormed Monrovia's port in a massive looting spree as rebel fighters prepared to hand it over to U.S.-backed West African peacekeepers. CNN's Jeff Koinange reported from the scene Wednesday: "They are taking whatever they can -- vehicles, furniture, electrical appliances, food. It is an unbelievable scene. They are literally stripping the port dry." He said some looters were running away carrying on their heads heavy sacks of food brought to Liberia by aid agencies "literally under the gaze of the LURD rebels." The LURD rebels have promised to pull out of the port noon Thursday to allow food shipments to hundreds of thousands of hungry civilians in a city where recent fighting left 2,000 dead.

U.S. Cobra helicopters could be seen circling over the port area but were making no attempt to land.

Liberian President Moses Blah said fighter planes from a U.S. task force would soon start patrols to help bring peace, after the flight into exile of leader Charles Taylor raised hopes of an end to nearly 14 years of strife.

Taylor had warned of trouble after he left and Koinange said he would be observing that his predictions had come true.

The port is Monrovia's chief entry point for desperately needed humanitarian aid, which came to a quick halt in June as the rebels launched fresh attacks against the government of Charles Taylor and aid workers fled.
...snip

[realFedUp]

1. Kinda blows the Rove photo-op

of Marines passing out big bags of flour and beans stamped
with USA all over them...